Hugo Boss and the Shanghai-based Rockbund Art Museum have launched a major prize for emerging Chinese artists.
The 300,000RMB (US$49,000) prize will be awarded every two years to an emerging contemporary artist from the region. Guidelines for the prize were artists from greater China (mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau), under 35 years of age, and with a background in art-making for at least three years. The jury have decided upon seven finalists for this year’s short list; Birdhead (Shanghai), Hsu Chiawei (Taichung), Hu Xiangqian (Beijing), Kwan Sheungchi (Hong Kong), Lee Kit (Hong Kong), Li Liao (Shenzhen), and Li Wei (Beijing).
The jury for the inaugural edition includes Larys Frogier (director, Rockbund Art Museum), Biljana Ciric (independent curator, Shanghai), Cosmin Costinas (director of Para Site, Hong Kong), Yuko Hasegawa (Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo), Hou Hanru (independent curator, San Francisco), Manray Hsu (independent curator, Taipei), Clara Kim (senior curator at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis), Alexandra Munroe (Asian art curator at the Guggenheim Museum, New York City), Jochen Volz (head of programs at the Serpentine Gallery, London), Wu Wei (executive editor at Art China Magazine), Pauline J. Yao, curator at M+, Hong Kong), Peng Yu (artist, Beijing), Anthony Yung, (senior researcher at Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong), and Zhao Li, (researcher, Beijing). Every two years the Rockbund Art Museum will select an independent jury, all of whom have contributed to the evolution of contemporary art in Asia.
The new award builds on other Hugo Boss arts sponsorships, including the $100,000 Hugo Boss Prize, which was co-founded in 1996 with the Soloman R. Guggenheim Foundation, as well as support for artists attending the Venice Biennale.
The exhibition of the finalists’ works will take place from September 12 — December 8, with the winner to be announced on October 31, 2013.
